Simple Valentines Sun Catcher

I am a crafty person.  My Mom is and always has been a huge crafty person, instilling her joy of creating things in her kids.  As Liam gets older it is getting easier to do crafty things with him.  And I am thrilled that although he is 100% a Daddy's boy and into tools, building and doing stuff with Daddy, he often asks to do crafts with me.

This week, we made these super easy, no mess involved sun catchers.  These can be adapted for any season or any theme and are fun for a ranger of ages.  I do them with toddlers (18 months to 2.5 years old) at work and I've done them with my Brownie group (7-8 years old).

Materials Needed:

card stock

clear contact paper

tissue paper (cut into squares for younger kids)

glitter (optional)

scissors

Directions:

Step 1: Cut your shape from card stock.

Step 2: Cut two pieces of contact paper, each slightly larger than your card stock shape.

Step 3: Remove backing from on sheet of contact paper and position card stock shape in the centre .

***If you are doing this craft with a young child (toddler or preschooler) you may want to complete steps 1-3 before involving your child!****

Step 4: Sprinkle a small amount of glitter on to the inside of the shape. Not too much as you need the sticky surface for the tissue paper.

Step 5: Fill the inside of the shape with tissue paper pieces.  It doesn't matter if some pieces are loose or if the tissue is layered in places.

Step 6: Sprinkle a small amount of glitter on top of tissue paper. Note: There won't be anything for the glitter to stick to right now, so be careful or you will have glitter everywhere!

Step 7: Remove backing from second piece of contact paper and position over top of tissue paper.  Press into place to ensure two layers are adhered together.

Step 8: Trim excess contact paper, leaving just a little bit of an edge around the shape.

Step 9: Hang in a window and enjoy!

Conversations With Liam

As the days and weeks go on, the things Liam says are get more and more interesting.  Sometimes, they are simple, random comments. 

"I want to buy a stock car and race it really fast.  And I want to buy a derby car and crash it."

"Mommy, here's a marker for you.  But don't colour on yourself with it.  Wait for me to get you a paper."

"Daddy, go and put on a handsome shirt, so you can be like me."

"I want to be Iron Man when I grow up."

Ashely: "Liam, can I carry you?"

Liam: "Yes, but I am NOT a baby."

 Other times, they are full conversations.

While having, we are having soup, Liam is having mac and cheese.

Liam: "Mommy, you make good, very good soup."

Me: "Would you like some?"

Liam: "Eww! No, I don't like soup.  You can just make it for Daddy."

Five minutes after opening a new hot wheels car.

Liam: "Mommy where is my shark car?"

Me: "I don't know, you'll have to look for it."

Liam: "I need you to look for it.  Please help me."

Me: "Where did you have it?"

Liam: "It was in my hand.  Not it's not. Can you find it?"

And this is the conversation we had on the way home from daycare Friday night.  I had been told at pick up that Liam had a rough start to the day, that he was very grumpy and not listen, also that he threw his shoes and was put on a time out.

Me: "Were you grumpy and not listening to Terri this morning?"

Liam: "Yes."

Me: "Did you have to go on time out?"

Liam: "Yes."

Me: "How come?"

Liam: "Because."

Me: "What did you do that made Terri put you on time out."

Liam: "I threw my shoes."

Me: "Why did you throw your shoes?"

Liam: "I wanted to play with the fishies in the bucket.  And Terri said no."

Me: "Why did Terri say no?"

Liam: "I wanted to take the fishies at preschool out of the big bucket and put them away."

Me: "What kind of fishies?"

Liam: "The ones in the big bucket on second floor.  I wanted to but them in the basket with the humpback whales."

Daddy: "Are you talking about the aquarium?"

Liam: "Yes, I wanted to take the fishes out."

Me: "You wanted to take the real fish out of the aquarium?"

Liam: "Yes, I wanted to play with them and put them in the basket with the other fishies."

Me: "The real fish need to always stay in the water in the aquarium."

Liam: "But I want to play with them."

Me: "Real fish aren't for playing with, they are just for looking at."

Liam: "But humpback whales are like fishies, the fishies should go in the basket with the whales."

Me: "Not real fish.  Toy fish can go in the basket, but real fish always have to stay in water."

Liam: "They have to stay in the bucket at preschool?"

Me: "Yes."

Liam: "OK."

Depression Sucks

I suffer from depression.  I have for about 8 years.  I take medication everyday and hope that it continues to keep things under control.

This past year, most of 2011, things have not been good.  My medication did not keep things under control the way it should have.  There was no precise trigger to blame.  Nor did I just wake up one morning feeling depressed again.  I was a slow, gradual descent into a life I do not wish upon anyone.

At some point last winter, I started to slowly slip back into what would be a year long struggle.  In the beginning, I didn't even see the signs.  Henry would point it out the changes in my mood or personality and I would instantly deny it or blame it on something else.  In March, I saw my doctor.  I told her that I was tired all the time.  But I didn't tell her anything else.  I was still in denial.  I thought I was still in control.  She suggested SAD (seasonal affective disorder).  I agreed and promised to come back if things didn't improve with the weather.

My energy did not improve, nor did my moods, my motivation my interest in anything, my desire to do interact with anyone or my memory and concentration.  Nor was I any more willing to admit that there were issues or problems with any of these things.  By the end of the summer, very little in life gave me pleasure.  It was a struggle to get out of bed in the morning.  I had to push myself to do anything.  It was all I could do to make it through the day at work.  Aside for going to work and cooking dinner, I did nothing.  

My house was a mess, my gardens (which are normally therapeutic for me) were full of weeds, I had dozens of unfinished projects around the house and yard, Liam and Henry weren't getting the amount or quality of attention that they deserved from me, there really wasn't a single aspect of my life that wasn't affected by this.  But I really didn't care.  I was full of excuses for my actions and promises to change but I couldn't do a thing about any of it.

By the end of the summer, I was finally ready to admit that there were problems.  But I still wasn't ready to do anything about them.  But it gave me an excuse, a scapegoat.  My depression became my excuse for everything that I didn't do, didn't want to do or didn't do correctly.  

Finally, in October, I couldn't put it off any longer.  I had to see my doctor.  Not only did I need a prescription renewal, I needed help.

By this point I was drowning in feelings of hopelessness, sadness, loneliness and just about every other negative  emotion you can think of.  My ability to focus and get things done was non existent as was my memory.

I was practically shaking as I waited to see my doctor, afraid that I wouldn't be able to convince her that there was a problem.  But at the same time feeling like I could wait it out a little longer to see if things got better without help. (I knew full well that it wouldn't but that's how my brain was functioning at the time.)

Within a few short minutes of talking with my doctor, she was giving me a prescription to increase my meds by one dose for three weeks and by another dose for a second 3 weeks if needed.

Just having that piece of paper in my hand made me feel somewhat better.  It is amazing how our brains function sometimes.

After the first three weeks, I felt a slight improvement.  After six weeks, I felt more improvement but still not enough.  I still didn't feel "normal".

Back to the doctor I went.  Again, she was helpful and added a second medication.  More than a month of being on a higher dose of my regular meds as well as the second medication and I am feeling much better.

There are still day (and probably always will be) where I have to push myself to do things and I still don't have quite then energy that I wish i had, but things are definitely much better.

Now, i face a new challenge - breaking the habits that I formed while suffering through this past year.  But that's another post, for another day.

My goal for 2012 is to learn how to control my depression and not have it control me.  And to write about all the ups and downs along the way.

The Perfect Post . . . Missing In Action

A few nights ago, while lying in bed, unable to sleep at around 2:00 in the morning, I had a post about my struggles with depression this past year all figured out.  I had it all planned, word for word, in my head.  I could even visualize it, typed and published.

This is not an easy subject for me to write about.  I have been wanting to write about it.  I think it would help me to write about it.  However, every time I try, the words won't come.  But this time, it all just came to me when sleep wouldn't.

I almost got out of bed to write it down or type it out so that I would remember the perfect analogies that I had formed in my head.  But I didn't.  And now, as I try again to actually write a post, all my thoughts and feelings are a jumbled mess bouncing around in my brain.

Imagine a 1500 piece jigsaw puzzle, dumped on the floor that was already strewn with hot wheels cars, train track pieces and a dozen different types of blocks and you've got my living room a good analogy of what is going on in my brain.  The puzzle pieces are the the bits of this perfect post, mixed in with everything else that lives in my head.

Some of the pieces will be easy to find and fit back together.

Others will jump out at me but no matter how hard I try, I won't be able to make fit with the rest.

Some will resurface, days, weeks maybe even months from now and will become the beginnings of new posts as depression is a struggle that will always be a part of me.

And still others will be lost forever.

I feel that it is time to write about my struggles.  

Time to write about my feelings.

Time to write about how I hope to move forward.

Today is not the day.  I need to find and piece together at least some small corner of the jigsaw puzzle in my brain.  But soon, very soon I will be back with a post about how, in 2012 I am going to figure out how to control my depression and not let it control me like it did in 2011.

Christmas in Photos

I couldn't help but do one more post of Christmas photos!  I love taking photos and can never find enough places and ways to share them!

Christmas And A Birthday - December 25, 2011

Our new Christmas Eve tradition, baking and decorating sugar cookies for Santa!

"I told Santa I wanted a train set . . . and he brought me one!"

"What did you get Daddy?"

After the gifts were opened, Liam played with EVERYTHING he got!!  He was a happy boy!

A Christmas Day Birthday Boy means birthday cake for Christmas dinner!

Blowing out the candles!

Showing off his goofy smile and his daycare birthday crown.

"No, I'm not tired.  I want to stay up and play, really, I'm good!"

Christmas Part 2 At Grandpa J and Grandma L's House - 

December 27, 2011

Liam and Grandpa J.  Liam sat at the table with his Great Grandparents and ate lunch like such a little man.  Made mommy very proud!

Playing air hockey with cousin Denver.

Playing air hockey with Aunty Danny.

Aunty Danny and her boys, Denver and Liam.

"More presents!!  Awesome!"

"Thanks Aunty Teanna and Denver, now I can be a rock star!!"

"Is this a reindeer?"

Hanging out with Uncle Matt.

Christmas Day, Hourly Photo Style

Andrea, over at A Peek Inside The Fish Bowl posts a Challenge on special occasions such as Christmas and Thanksgiving where the day is documented with a photo taken every hour on the hour. Participants are encouraged to tweet or blog their photos through the day.

This is the second time I have participated in the Hourly Photo Challenge. At Thanksgiving, I used Instagram to tweet my photos. Yesterday, I did the same but have decided to post my photos here as well.

8:00am. Ripping paper.

9:00am.  My new coat.

10:00am.  Making stuffing.

11:00.  Playing with new play dough on a new table.

12:00pm.  Turkey, ready to go in the oven.

1:00pm.  Birthday Cake decorating time.

2:00pm.  Still decorating Birthday Cake.

2:15pm.  FInished Birthday Cake!

3:00pm.  Taking advantage of early Boxing Day Sales to order computer parts.

4:00pm. Grandma and Aunties are here with more presents.

5:00pm.  Please can I have some turkey?

5:00pm.  Darn, I forgot to make the cranberries.

6:00pm. Happy Birthday Liam!

7:00pm.  The aftermath.

8:00pm.  Trying to convince Mommy that he's not tired.

9:00pm.  Mulled cranberry and amaretto and then bedtime for the grown ups!

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

For the past month or so, Liam has been obsessed with Christmas.  He is constantly talking about decorations, Santa and presents.  We've been doing everything we can to satisfy his need for all things Christmas.  We've been to see Santa, we've written to Santa, we've been to Christmas parties where he got a gift from Santa, we've done Christmas baking, we've decorated and we've watched Christmas specials on TV.

Over the past week, since first watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer on TV, Rudolph has been at the forefront of his obsession.  He sings Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer at every opportunity, from the time he gets up in the morning to the time he goes to bed at night.  (I think he's even fallen asleep singing it a couple of times.  He is singing it in his bed as I type!)

On the weekend, he announced, "Mommy, I want to be Rudolph for Christmas."

When his Daddy told him to get a tissue because he had a runny nose, Liam replied, "I don't want a runny nose.  I want a red shiny nose."

And on the way to work and daycare this morning, he sang Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer to me and then said, "When I grow up, I want to be Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer."

I think a trip to the dollar store for some reindeer antlers is in order!